How to Get TSA PreCheck & Global Entry For FREE

A few years ago, I applied and was approved for Global Entry. Although I’ve found Global Entry (which also includes TSA Precheck) well worth the $100 application fee, when it is time to renew I plan to get Global Entry for free.

There are several ways to get Global Entry or TSA Precheck for free – charge the fee to certain credit or charge cards or be an elite member of certain programs.

Several credit cards and charge cards provide a reimbursement of the Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees (the application fee for Global Entry is $100 and the fee for TSA Precheck is $85). It is important to note that although NEXUS and SENTRI include TSA Precheck and Global Entry benefits, the fees for NEXUS or SENTRI are NOT reimbursed by these cards.

Below is the current list of cards that currently reimburse Global Entry or TSA Precheck fees as a statement credit:

The free Global Entry/TSA Pre benefit appears as a statement credit after that card is used to pay for the Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee. The benefit, however, can only be used once every 4 or 5 years depending on the card and only for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck – not both.

These cards reimburse TSA Precheck or Global Entry fees as part of their annual travel fee credit benefit:

If you have any of these cards, make sure you take advantage of the fee credit. If you are considering applying for one of these cards, do so before applying for or renewing your Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check. Most of these cards charge high annual fees (exceptions include the SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card, Chase United Explorer Card and Capital One Venture with no annual fee the first year, the First National Bank TravElite American Express® Card with no annual fee at all and the Expedia+ Voyager Card with an annual fee of $95) so I would not get a card solely for the Global Entry or TSA Pre fee reimbursement. Some of these cards offer additional airline fee credits which may offset the high annual fee but it depends on whether those are of use to you personally.

More specific information regarding the reimbursement of Global Entry or TSA Precheck fees can be found in the terms and conditions for each card.

As I don’t envision ever being an elite member of Delta or Orbitz Rewards, when it is time to renew my Global Entry I plan to do so for free by having one the credit cards that will reimburse me for Global Entry. If you want to apply for Global Entry or TSA Precheck but the cost is too high, you might want to consider if it is worth it getting one of these credit cards first.
—Like this article? Save it to Pinterest:

Note: Originally published February, 2016 but updated to reflect current list of cards offering free TSA Precheck/Global Entry

To get to use TSA precheck, you have to call the airline in order to input your known traveler number on file so a TSA precheck logo can be printed on your boarding pass. However, some budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier do not enroll in the program so no one can use TSA precheck even though you are a member. At the airport, they will check your boarding pass for that TSA precheck logo before allowing you to the lane.

That’s a good idea. Will try to revise the post and add the annual fees. Some cards do have a high annual fee but they offer annual credits that can offset the fee. I would not apply for those cards solely for the free Global Entry but it would be a bonus.

You are absolutely right. The whole thing is a money making scam for TSA. My income and ability/willingness to pay a $85 – $100 fee for this privilege is just pure B.S.
The Pre Check or Global pass should be issue for free based [purely on your background check ( which can easily be done on-line … thus not requiring any govt. employee to be paid )

Or you could actually get it for free without these obscene annual fees (some as high as $550), by applying to the First National Bank of Omaha TravElite card that covers Global Entry, yet has no annual fee.

looks like First National Bank Travelite does not have an annual fee, covers cost for global entry also covers $100 of bag check and in flight food/drink fees plus gives you a bonus of $250 if you spend $2500 in 3 months